ISO 21214:2015 determines the air interface using infrared systems at 820 nm to 1 010 nm.

The International Standard provides protocols and parameters for medium range and medium to high speed wireless communications in the ITS sector using infrared systems.

Such links are required for quasi-continuous, prolonged, or short communications between the following:

- vehicles and the roadside;

- between vehicles;

- between mobile equipment and fixed infrastructure points;

- over medium and long ranges.

Vehicles may be moving or stationary.

Wherever practicable, this International Standard has been developed by reference to suitable extant International Standards, adopted by selection. Required regional variations are provided.

Due account is given to, and made use of, any relevant parts of appropriate communications systems such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), Radio Local Area Networks (RLANs), Digital Data Broadcasting (DDB), TETRA, FM subcarrier, Mobile Broadband Systems (MBS, W-ATM), Internet Protocols, and DSRC.

ISO 21214:2015

- supports data rates of 1 Mbit/s up to 128 Mbit/s (it may also support higher data rates),

- supports vehicle speeds to a minimum of 200 km/h (closing speeds could be double this value),

- defines or reference environmental parameters relevant to link operation,

- supports communication distances to 100 m (it may also support longer communication distances of 300 m to 1 000 m),

- supports latencies and communication delays in the order of milliseconds,

- is compliant to regional/national regulatory parameters, and

- may support other regional/national parameters, as applicable.

Application specific requirements are outside the scope of this International Standard. These requirements will be defined in the CALM management and upper layer standards and in application standards.

Application specific upper layers are not included in this International Standard but will be driven by application standards (which may not be technology specific).